Dakuwaqa Explained

In Fijian mythology, Dakuwaqa (Dakuwanga) is a shark deity and often appears as a fierce sea monster, guarding the islands.^[1] He was greatly respected by fishermen^[2] because he protected them from any danger at sea and its denizens.^{[3] [4]}

Background

In one creation myth, the god was planning inland to conquer Kadavu Island^[5] through the river when a goddess^[6] challenged him in the form of an octopus.^[7] After a great battle, the octopus won by pulling out his teeth with her eight arms which enabled her to hold off the massive attack of Dakuwaqa, forcing Dakuwaqa to promise to never attack Kadavu again. That is how Dakuwaqa became the god and protector of Kadavu.

Dakuwaqa can also change shape into anything, but his real form is that of a muscular Fijian man with the upper torso of a shark.^[8] In the book Pacific Irishman, the Anglican priest Charles William Whonsbon-Aston records in Chapter 1, Creation:^[9]

Media

• Jeff VanderMeer wrote the story The Third Bear about Dakuwaqa.^[10]
• Dakuwaqa is the father of the supervillain King Shark in the DC Universe.
• One episode of the History Channel series Beast Legends is about Dakuwaqa.
• Dakuwanga is an Atlantean Bio-weapon in the Earth Prime setting of the Mutants & Masterminds roleplaying game.
• Dakuwanga is the official pet in the "Quidditch World Cup Argentina 2014" in the Harry Potter universe.
• Dakuwaqa's vest is a fictional artifact mentioned in the 2017 film as the item used to prevent sharknados in the past.
• The merged tribe in Survivor 45 was named after Dakuwaqa.

See also

• Avatea
• Kamohoalii
• Ukupanipo
• Ulupoka

Notes and References

1. Fijian Medicinal Plants by RC Cambie, J Ash
2. Bed the turtle softly: legends of the South Pacific by Mary Edith Branham and Joel S. Branham. "Many are the stories about the shark-god Dakuwaqa."
3. Deuba: A Study of a Fijian Village by William Robert Geddes
4. The People of the Sea: Environment, Identity, And History in Oceania. Author: Paul D'Arcy. Please see this page. "His Fijian crew addressed the creature as Dakuwaqa, and promised it kava if it did not harm them. Dakuwaqa had a history of fierce retribution against seafarers who did not respect him, but had rescued his worshippers from trouble at sea."
5. Fiji by Dean Starnes, Nana Luckham.
6. She is everywhere! : an anthology of writings in womanist/feminist spirituality by Mary Saracino. According to Mary Saracino, the great octopus was a goddess.
7. http://www.tropicalfiji.com/about_fiji/culture/legends.asp#shark_g Dakuwaqa The Shark God.
8. http://www.sharkmans-world.eu/gods.html The Fierce Sea God
9. http://anglicanhistory.org/oceania/whonsbon-aston1970.html
10. Book: 978-1892391988. The Third Bear. Vandermeer. Jeff. 2010.